Wheeeew….we are typically pretty bad at posting regularly….but this has gotten out hand! Problem is, the internet sucks out here on the fringes of society. I can’t even upload photos to the blog. So now we are back in town, I downloaded some picture resizing software and a collage program to make my huge camera photos small for the internets. Hopefully we will get caught up soon.
We have been in Tonga about a month and a half. Most of that time we have spent traveling around the anchorages in the Vava’u group. We figured we are going to be in town for the next 3-4 months, so might as well see what we can now.
Basically, Tonga is amazing. Some of the clearest blue water I have seen. The fish are extraordinary and colorful. The beaches are white crushed coral and the blue skies go on forever….except right now…the years first cyclone is passing north of us and bringing with it some seriously shitty weather.
The locals here are shy, but very friendly. In town there are numerous expats from NZed, America, Canada and Australia. They own and operate a variety of really cool restaurants and bars. Life here is slow and easy, and we find it very appealing.
The Vava’u group is made up of tons of little islands, bordered to the north by what locals call the mainland, to the east by fringe islands and open to the south and west (where the tiniest and most exposed islands are). The shape of the group, and the fact that the main north island has high mountains makes this a very protected area for hiding from cyclones. Above you can see the differences in the coastlines. From reef protected flat water to a craggy mountainous exposed shoreline beaten with surf…Vava’u has it all.
The sunsets here are amazing and often lead to impromptu bonfires.
Pigs are abundant here, infact they are pests. They tear up the land and eat everything in site. It is not odd to see a whole family of pigs trekking through town. Nobody owns them, so when the need arises, ya just go outside and wrangle you up a pig to roast (I think this is a lot harder than it sounds). This piggie roast was on Hunga Island. The traditional oven is called an umu and starts with a fire in a pit that is left to smolder. Then it is covered with palms and the piggie is placed on top, covered with more palms, covered in dirt and left to cook all day. The meat is as tender as u can imagine….and goooood! Whew…I love a pig roast.
This is the beach at our favorite anchorage, Kenutu. Nobody lives here, the area is usually not visited by other cruisers, so its just u, the wildlife….oh, and the bats.
Kenutu is on the rugged eastern side. Just a short walk over the headland and the peaceful flat water gives way to the raucous swells of the Pacific. You can hear the waves thumping up into the caves on the windward shore.
The reason it is our favorite is because there is a pure sand cay just outside the anchorage. At low tide, the cay is exposed and waist deep water surrounds it for half a mile. It is the perfect place to learn to kiteboard.
CB getting his ride on. We both finally stood up and rode here. The place is pefect because u are anchored in the lee of the island and just past is the open ocean with the trades blowing in.
Sometimes, when the weather is calm, you can anchor in the middle of the blue. This is Fahua One One (pronounced onay onay), one of the tiny outlying islands. To anchor here you have to drive right up to the hard bits, drop your anchor in 7-10 feet and let out a bunch of rode until you are over the shelf. 30 feet off the beach it is over 100 feet deep. When anchored like this you relly hope the wind doesn’t shift.
The top photo is in the Tapana anchorage. This is the Ark gallery…the lady and her husband who live there are ex-cruisers and they sell art and run a mooring field. Due to the extreme protection this bay gives, cyclone moorings are set up so people can leave their boat for the season.
The red supply boat visits the group 2x per week bringing food, fuel and pretty much anything you could think of from Nuka Alofa (the government seat 170 miles south).
The other two photos are resorts in the area.
On Tapana island there is a spanish couple who own a restaurant called LaPaella. We heard it was amazing and we had to go there for the experience. The family are reportedly Basque and built the restaurant to resemble a rustic cabin high up in the mountains. They cooked everything over a wood burning hearth. You start out with 7-8 tapas…one of them were goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon😰…followed by a huge dish of seafood paella and dessert. It was probably the best food I have had in I don’t even know how long. The goat walked in and sat down right about the time everyone arrived…he continued his centerpiece presence until the band got started, when he huffed and promptly left….I think he was on the clock.
For now I’ll leave you with this…with the promise of more posts to come soon!